Puri: The Nilachal Urban Haat, which was set up to promote handloom and handicraft products of the state here, is struggling to stay afloat due to official apathy and inadequate publicity.
Moreover, only Rs 10,28,207 revenue has been generated from the haat while the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco), which is in charge of managing it, has spent at least Rs 1,55,86,025 on it since the past nine years. The IDCO has paid Rs 24, 61,772 for electricity bills and Rs 1, 31, 24,353 was spent on repairing, renovation and staff payment.
The Centre and state had spent at least Rs 3.22 crore to construct 36 stalls and an amphitheatre at the haat to promote handicrafts in the coastal city to showcase the state’s traditional handmade goods. Besides, the state Tourism department had established a musical fountain at the market to attract tourists. The then President Pratibha Patil had inaugurated the Nilachal Urban Haat in front of the Fisheries department office here December 9, 2009.
However, poor footfall forced most of the artisans to close shop within a couple of months of the market’s inauguration. Only two shops — Boyanika and a Sambalpuri cloth store — run by the state government are opening regularly.
Similarly, another two urban haats at Bhubaneswar and Konark are also operating amid losses.
A senior official said a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary was held to revive the three urban haats May 25 this year. The meeting also discussed to renovate the haats through public-private-partnership (PPP) mode.